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First attendances number 1,782 against 2,397 in 1953, and reattendances
5,237 against 6,147, the total attendances being 7,019
against 8,544.
The following table shows the new cases and attendances at
Minor Ailment Clinics since the "appointed day" in July 1948.
The decrease probably reflects the tendency for children to be taken
to family doctors.
1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
New Cases 5,086 3,757 3,356 3,106 2,990 2,397 1,782
Attendances 16,490 14,112 11,515 10,000 10,634 8,544 7,019
(d) Dental Treatment.—Mr. L. W. Elmer, Senior Dental Surgeon,
submits the following report:'—
"The year 1954 was marked by a visit from a medical and
dental inspector of the Ministry of Education. He pointed out that
our practice of the past few years was wrong in several particulars.
" An important point made was that every endeavour should
be made regularly to inspect considerably more children at the
schools instead of relying upon the children who presented themselves
as ' specials.' A further point was that, instead of undertaking
the extensive repair of badly decayed teeth at the request of
parents, it should be the policy to restore larger numbers of teeth
which could be done more easily and would need less time.
" Again, it was suggested that less attention should be paid
to the conservation of deciduous teeth and that less time be given
to the more popular types of dental treatment, such as orthodontics.
It was explained that this would enable larger numbers of extractions
and simple fillings to be carried out.
" With many patients in the middle of courses of treatment, it
was obviously not possible to alter arrangements immediately, but
we have commenced carrying out the suggestions made. Owing to